


Divination

by weakinteraction



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-27 14:03:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5051254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weakinteraction/pseuds/weakinteraction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Faith pines after Buffy while they're out on patrol together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Divination

**Author's Note:**

  * For [celaenos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/celaenos/gifts).



The half-moon glowed through the clouds, gradually getting lower in the sky. They were well on the wrong side of midnight by now and there was still no sign of the demon Wesley had spent the whole day insisting would be coming to this exact graveyard on this exact night for mysterious reasons that Faith had always managed to miss. She always seemed to zone out as soon as he started explaining, no matter how often he brought it up. This was definitely entirely because he was boring, and nothing at all to do with being distracted by the presence of Buffy in those briefings.

Faith sat cross-legged on top of the tomb, tossing her stake from one hand to the other to affect a casual air. But her eyes flitted all around, taking in everything around her. Right now, though, that amounted to Buffy, pacing back and forth, her own way of dealing with the same boredom. Faith wasn't going to waste the opportunity to admire her legs, which were only enhanced by the tight leather trouser look she'd been rocking lately.

Before coming to Sunnydale, Faith had been used to feeling horny after going out on patrol, not during. It was distracting.

Not so distracting, however, as to make her miss the sudden movement in her peripheral vision. A figure jumping over the high stone wall of the cemetery in a way that no human could have managed. No human who wasn't already on the inside, anyway.

"Heads up, B," Faith said, nodding towards the wall. "Looks like we're in business."

"Well, what do you know? Wesley got something right for once."

Faith jumped off the tomb and joined Buffy in heading towards the demon. As they got closer, Faith realised quite how large it was -- a hulking eight-foot monstrosity, covered in scales and spines, clawed hands dragging along the floor. Buffy made a minute gesture to Faith to split up and they took parallel routes through the rows of graves.

Fighting. That was what they were good at. That was when they communicated best, no need for words. Faith wished it could be like that the rest of the time. Fighting together was instinctive; hell, maybe that was even why they always ended up fighting each other when there were no demons around to take it out on.

"Go home, human children," the demon growled as they approached it. "The ancient rites of divination are not for you."

"Sorry," Buffy said. "Not happening."

"Plus, I'm eighteen now," Faith pointed out. "So, technically, not a child. Just FYI."

The demon sniffed the air, then made a guttural gurgling noise that might have been laughter. "Slayers! How are there two of you?"

"Wrong question, bud," Faith said as she shoulder barged into the demon, knocking it off balance but failing to put it on the ground.

Buffy circled round and grabbed it from behind by the neck. "What you should be asking is: how much more is it going to hurt because there are two of us?"

Faith tried to kick the demon's legs out from under it, but it still stood steady. It rotated its shoulders back and forth, trying to shake Buffy off. Eventually, it swung one of its long arms out wide, knocking Faith momentarily onto her feet, then stretched the same aim around its back to pluck Buffy off. She dangled in mid-air, legs windmilling helplessly, before the demon flung her away. There was a sickening crunch as she impacted on the side of one of the larger tombs.

Faith rounded on the demon. "OK, calling me a child was annoying, but _now_ you've really pissed me off." She ran straight at him, stake at the ready. He swung his arm again, but too early to catch Faith properly; his claws gouged through her top. Faith looked down at her ruined clothes and fast-healing skin. "And you need a manicure," she said as she circled round him, looking for a moment to strike.

"You are strong," the demon said. "I can respect that." Then he stretched out a claw towards Buffy, still lying unconscious against the side of the tomb. "But so was she."

"Lucky for you, I'm stronger."

"Perhaps. But you are not strong enough to tell her what you feel."

Faith wavered for a moment. "What are you talking about?"

He stretched out a single claw again, slowly, this time pointing it straight towards Faith's chest. "I am a haruspex of the Cacovetian tribe," he rumbled. "I can read what is written on your heart even before I remove it, just as easily as I can smell your Slayer stench. I know all your secret fears ... and your secret desires."

"Yeah, well, whatever you think you can read, keep it to yourself. ... And it's an aroma, not a stench, OK?"

The demon laughed its disgusting laugh again. "I don't care how you choose to delude yourself, or how you choose to delude her. You humans are sickening. You spend your whole time wanting what you can't have. If you were truly strong, you would take what you wanted. And she would--"

The demon suddenly came flying towards Faith. She put up her arms to block, before she realised that it wasn't an attack he'd been trying to get her off guard for; he'd been propelled towards her by a kick to the back delivered by Buffy from behind. She kicked upwards herself, catching him in the abdomen. Buffy followed up, delivering a blow with both fists to the back of his neck as he doubled over. Faith gave him a few well-aimed kicks as Buffy took out her stake and used it to make sure he was very dead.

"Why do they always have to talk so much?" Buffy said as the demon gurgled its last. "Blah blah blah blah blah-di-blah. It's like being in Mr Fletcher's American History class, only with more spittle." Buffy tilted her head upwards and looked at some imaginary point in midair as she thought about it, in the way that always made Faith want to kiss the nape of her neck. "Not a lot more spittle, though, come to think."

"So you, er, didn't hear anything he said?"

"Oh _man_ , did he tell us there's going to be a pop quiz tomorrow?" Buffy deadpanned.

Faith only knew her heart had been pounding in her chest when it subsided with the realisation that Buffy hadn't heard anything. "Does Wesley wanting to know more about the demon count?" she managed weakly.

"Oh, I know that one!" She mimed putting her hand up eagerly to answer a question in class. "He was big and ugly, and he's dead now. Yes, Faith and I did do an awesome job. You're welcome."

Faith laughed. "You wanna come and find some vamps to dust?"

"I really ought to at least pretend to get some sleep." Buffy yawned. "Or maybe even some actual sleep, you never know. You have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Faith watched until Buffy was out of sight, trying hard all the time not to imagine what the demon at her feet would claim to read on her heart. She kicked it once more for good measure, and headed out on patrol.


End file.
